Indiana Jones and the Talisman of the Gods
by LibraLoco
Summary: Indiana Jones is kidnapped by General Okidonomi, a highly respected Japanese military leader. Join him as he ventures to Yomi, the shadowy land of the dead, in search for the mystical item known as the Talisman of the Gods.
1. General Okidonomi

**Indiana Jones and the Talisman of the Gods**

**Chapter 1**

**General Okidonomi**

A lone biplane flew over the Pacific Ocean on a quiet and peaceful day. The pilot was wide-awake, whilst his counterpart was sleeping in the passenger seat. The resting man had a fedora propped over his face, but that did not block out the snoring. The pilot was thankful for the sound of the engine.

The silver plane flew over a cluster of islands. The Philippines. The pilot, a man named Jerome McHugh, was anxious to land the plane. He was afraid of heights, but the passenger had paid him a hefty sum to transport him to Shanghai, China, without stopping. "It's urgent," the man's deep voice had said over the phone. "I have a special delivery to make in Shanghai. Can you get me there A.S.A.P.?"

At the time, Jerome had thought that the offer sounded pretty good. The passenger had traveled from Connecticut to Jerome's house in Albuquerque, New Mexico, so the trip had been dramatically shortened. However, the trip was longer than Jerome had expected. This would be the last time he would ever fly.

Jerome eyed the fuel gauge. They had left with ¾ of a full tank. Now there was only about 1/8 of a tank left. They would have to stop soon, against the traveler's wishes.

"Sir," Jerome shouted. "Sir, we need to land soon."

The man snorted.

"Dr. Jones! Wake up!" The man shifted in his seat. "Dr. Jones! We need to land immediately for—" Jerome was interrupted by the sound of a bullet piercing one of the wings. "Oh, no…"

The man snorted. "Are we there yet?"

"Dr. Jones! We're under attack!"

The man, Dr. Jones, almost jumped out of his seat. He moved the fedora to the top of his head. He was in a daze. "Is it the Nazis?"

"Dr. Jones, we're in the Pacific! It's the Japanese!" In the year 1943, Japan was caught up in World War II.

"Why are the Japanese attacking us?"

"Why do you think? They think we're spies!"

Jerome flew the plane away from were he thought the shot came from. If they didn't stop for fuel, they would crash in the ocean, but if they tried to land in Japan, they would be shot down. This was bad, and Jerome knew it.

"Jerry, you're overreacting. I'm sure that it was an accident." Three more holes appeared in the wing. "Holy…"

"What did I tell you?!" Jerome was furious. So much for money that you can only spend when you're alive.

"Look, we just need to—" Dr. Jones was interrupted by the sound of metal against metal. He looked over the side of the plane. A liquid was spilling from the plane. The gas tank was punctured. "Jerry, we've been hit!"

"Really?!" Jerome's voice was full of sarcasm. The propeller stopped and the engine made a grumbling sound. The plane began to fall. "Dr. Jones, I'm sorry. We're going down."

Jerome, using the best of his abilities, tried to glide the plane to the ground, but as the plane made its descent more and more holes appeared in the wings. The bullets made a _rat-a-tat-tat_ sound against the silvery metal skin of the plane. The plane went down, down, down, spiraling towards the water at a quick pace. Dr. Jones braced himself for the impact. Any second now…

__

BOOM!

Dr. Jones opened his eyes to see a Japanese woman looking straight into his eyes. She spoke in rapid Japanese, but Dr. Jones could understand her perfectly. _Come, come! He's awake!_ Dr. Jones lifted his head off of the cot he was laying on. He was in the hull of a ship. The boat was bobbing back and forth on the waves as it sailed through the brackish water.

"Where am I?" He asked. He knew he was in a boat, but where was the boat?

The Japanese woman spoke in English now. "You are on a Japanese boat on your way to Yokohama. General Okidonomi is waiting for you there."

"General _who_?"

She pressed her index finger against his lips. "Shhh… You need rest."

He grabbed her hand and moved it away. "I won't rest until I know why I was shot out of the sky!"

"Dr. Jones, your questions will be answered when you meet with General Okidonomi." The woman had long, beautiful, silky, raven hair. Her rosy red lips stood out in contrast against her pale complexion.

"Wait, who are you?"

The woman smiled. She looked down at her white _kimono_. "My name is Yuki-onna."

Dr. Jones passed out.

When Dr. Jones awoke again, the boat had stopped and he was being dragged across the shores of Yokohama. He opened his eyes to see a group of Japanese soldiers standing in attention behind an older, wiser looking general. The man spoke in a deep, grumble. "Ah! Welcome to Japan, Indiana Jones, Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire!"

"Dr. Jones to you, General," Indiana replied.

The Japanese man smiled. "I am General Okidonomi, leader of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. I am a third class Maritime Chief of Staff. I don't suppose that you've heard of me?"

"What are you talking about? There is no third class Maritime Chief of—"

"Yes, but when you do as good as a job as I, the government needs to create new ranks to dignify your power. I am a third class Maritime Chief of Staff." The man had remained calm this entire time. Jones regained complete consciousness and was standing on his feet now.

"Okay, then. But why do you need me, General?" Getting shot out of the sky wasn't exactly a welcoming sign.

"Have you met Yuki-onna?" The tall, beautiful woman stepped out from behind Jones. He looked at her face. It was so pale that it was almost transparent.

"Yes, I've met her, both in text books and in person…" Jones looked over at the General. "How did you do it?"

Okidonomi smiled. "The same way you're going to do it."


	2. The Garden of the Gods

**Indiana Jones and the Talisman of the Gods**

**Chapter 2**

**The Garden of the Gods**

Jones sat cramped inside of a tank as it traveled to Mount Fuji. He was still awestricken by the assignment that General Okidonomi had given him.

The General himself walked over to Jones. "Will you be able to complete that assignment or will you end up like your silly pilot?"

Indiana Jones's eyes flared. "What did you do to Jerry?!"

The Japanese military leader laughed. "He tried to defeat _us_, an entire group of trained soldiers, with his bare hands. He attacked us," the General smiled, "so we attacked him."

Indiana grimaced at the man. Their guerrilla-like behavior wasn't very welcoming. If Indiana didn't complete the task, the soldiers would gun him down. If he did complete the task, the outcome would most likely be the same. He was basically in a lose-lose situation. There was no hope for him now.

"General, how exactly do you expect me to do that?"

"You will have help. If your father can do it, I'm sure that you can."

Indiana Jones's mouth nearly dropped open. "My… My father?"

"Yes. Wise man. He obeyed our commands and we sent him on his way."

Jones wanted to smack himself in the face. "Why was he in Japan?"

"Oh, no. He didn't come here. We went to him and brought him here. He didn't really complain. It must happen a lot to him." The General smiled. "Have you talked to your dad lately? He's alive. We let him go. If you obey, we'll let you go, too."

The tanks suddenly started going up at a slant. Jones was pushed against the back of the metal monster. They were climbing up Mount Fuji.

"Just remember, Dr. Jones, we take you to Yomi, you go to the shrine, retrieve the object, whatever it may be, and give it to us. Your father only gave us part of the object. That's how we obtained Yuki-onna. If you give us the whole object, then we will let you go a free man. Give us only part and we will send you back.

Jones gulped. Yomi, in Japanese mythology, was the "shadowy land of the dead." He didn't know what the Japanese planned to do with the object, but it couldn't be good. Jones looked at Yuki-onna. She wasn't human. From studying Japanese mythology, Dr. Jones knew that Yuki-onna was a spirit. She had dominion over snow and ice. Why she was with these ruthless soldiers, he did not know.

The tanks came to a halt near the top of Mount Fuji. Dr. Jones and Yuki-onna were escorted out of the tank. They were at a military base on the mountain. Snow as white as rice covered the landscape in front of them. Yuki-onna had a look that could be translated as "Home sweet home."

"Dr. Jones," General Okidonomi said walking towards a table with a map. "We leave tomorrow morning at dawn. You are to be prepared to leave. We are travelling." He smiled a wicked smile. "We are travelling _far_."

For some reason, Jones didn't feel that reassured. He looked around. The country of Japan was spread out in front of him. He took a deep breathe of the crisp mountain air. "Hey, you don't suppose that there's a place around here where a man can take a leak?" One of the Japanese soldiers gestured in the direction out of sight.

Indiana Jones walked down a well worn trail in the snow, took a right, and began to do his business. Relief… He looked up and saw a bright light. From out of the light came a flower petal carried by the breeze. He zipped up his pants, stepped over the yellow snow, and walked towards the light. The immediate warmth of the light seemed welcoming and the sudden change in location was eminent.

Dr. Jones was in a garden. It was well kept, with flowers of all kinds growing along side a cobblestone pathway. He walked along the path to see ponds full of nishikigoi fish—ornamented and beautifully colored carp—and water lilies. The garden was extraordinary, as if a master expert was tending to it at every second of every day. The rosy sun smiled as it ascended from the horizon, blanketed by the marshmallow clouds of pink and yellow as it went. It was dawn. There was twilight.

Jones looked around. Rolling hills went on for miles and the pathway continued to contort itself throughout the garden. He followed the path, small beige and brown stones crunching beneath his feet. He came to a place where the winds picked up. Petals flew from their flowers and danced alongside Dr. Jones's path. The whole scene seemed to be mystified.

The bright light radiated from an object sitting on a stone. The blinding light made it impossible to see what the source was, but it must've been powerful, whatever it was. Jones reached out to grab the object when the sky above turned gray and lightning struck down. A voice echoed from the distance, perhaps from over the hills.

"Indiana Jones…"

He turned. No one was there, but the voice seemed so close, and yet so far at the same time. Something was weird about this place. It shouldn't have been on Mount Fuji. There was something about this. Something odd…

He reached out to touch the unseen object when the sky changed colors again and lightning boomed. The same voice echoed in the distance.

"Don't do it, Indiana…"

The voice was warning him. He pulled back his hand. The familiar twilight lit up the sky and he walked back along the cobblestone path. What was this place? Did it have a meaning, a purpose? Was this a warning?

A hand touched his shoulder. He jumped and reached for his gun, but realized that it had been confiscated by the soldiers. There was a tall Japanese man next to him. He was smiling.

"You have been summoned for something." The man's voice was echoic and booming.

"Yes, retrieve the object in Yomi. This isn't the first time I've been kidnapped." Jones scratched the side of his chin. "What is this place?"

"You are in the Garden of the Gods, one of many places where the spare gods reside. I don't think that you can see it with your mortal vision, but over the hills there is a mountain with a palace for the Greek deities."

"Mount Olympus?"

"Yes! That's the name."

"And who are you?"

The man smiled. "I am Izanagi, chief Japanese god."

Jones was awestricken. "And you live in this Garden?"

"All of the Japanese deities live in the Garden. Other gods from other religions reside in other places."

They were nearing the end of they're walk. Jones almost had his breath knocked out when he realized who the man was. Izanagi was indeed the chief Japanese god. He and his wife, Izanami, bore many deities together.

"Izanagi, why am I here? What was that thing?"

The man patted him on the shoulder. They were at the portal. "That, my friend, is the object in which the Japanese want you to find." The god looked him straight in the eyes. "Whatever you do, don't get the object, and most certainly don't give it to General Okidonomi. The world will perish if that happens."

Jones was sucked through the portal. His face went pale as he was shot out and fell onto the snow. He looked up to see fifteen Japanese soldiers with machine guns aimed at his face.

General Okidonomi stepped out from behind them. "Ah, Dr. Jones, did you think that you could run from us?"

"What? I was taking a leak. I was gone for five minutes tops!"

"More or less five _hours_. You tried to escape." He gave a wicked smile. "Ronin Inokuma!" A skinny little soldier stepped out. "Escort Dr. Jones to the makeshift jail. He'll be spending the night with Mr. Shimizu tonight." General Okidonomi laughed as Ronin Inokuma put his hands in cuffs and walked him over to what looked like big black box next to camp.


	3. The God of Evil

**Indiana Jones and the Talisman of the Gods**

**Chapter 3**

**The God of Evil**

Ronin Inokuma pushed Dr. Jones into the metal cage and padlocked the door shut. Indiana slumped against the cold walls of the dark containment. He never tried to runaway. He was going to the bathroom, not to mention talking to a Japanese god. How could he have been gone five hours? He didn't stay in the Garden that long, but, indeed, five hours had passed. Could time move differently in the Garden? Maybe time was nothing at all there, just a meaningless property that no one abides by. An interesting theory, he thought.

"Who's there?" A raspy voice called from the far corner of the black box. From his accent, you could tell he was Japanese. "Is there someone else in here?"

"Shut up!" General Okidonomi shouted from the outside. The setting sun provided little light over the camp. However, an amber band of twilight streaked through the small hole near the top and shone on an old shriveled hand.

Dr. Jones scooted over to the hand. "Are you Mr. Shimizu?"

The man coughed, then wheezed out one word: "Yes."

"Why are you here? Why do they have you? Are you an archaeologist?"

The man coughed a cough that sounded almost like a laugh. "I am Ryuji Shimizu. I am a shaman from a village in northern China. General Okidonomi and his troops raided our village not to long ago looking for a portal of some sort. They kidnapped me and said that I could help him in his quest. I was afraid of this."

"Afraid of what? The raiding?"

"Well, yes and no." The man coughed. He sounded sick. He needed help. "Yes, I was afraid of the raiding, but I was more afraid because of the warning. My mentor, a wise man from the Himalayas, warned me when I was just a lad that the world would be brought to its knees by a stone tablet. I had no clue what he meant by that, but sure enough, that's what happened."

Indiana readjusted his wide brimmed hat. "So the Japanese are after a stone tablet?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"That's what they want me to get…"

Shaman Shimizu shifted in the dark, his voice apprehensive as he spoke: "That's what they want you for? They want you to help them destroy all civilization?"

"Well, I'm not really going to get it for them."

"Oh, really, Dr. Jones?" General Okidonomi stood looking in through the eye hole. "Well, then, perhaps you need some persuasion."

"No, General, that's not what I meant!"

WHAM!

Indiana Jones woke up bound to a table. His head throbbed in pain. Someone had hit him! They had knocked him out. He tried to move, but his hands and feet were tied to the table with leather strips. He swore under his breath and squirmed to get free. General Okidonomi leaned over him.

"Dr. Jones…" He had a menacing look, one that psychopaths usually have before murdering someone. "You have tried to run away and you have betrayed our trust. Now you will pay dearly for it. But to decide your fate, you must answer a riddle."

Jones's eyes widened. "What kind of people are you? You're going to let me chose how I die?"

"Oh, no, silly American. You won't die, but you will suffer. Yes… Yes, you will suffer."

"Go on then! What's your riddle?"

"What walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?"

Jones looked emptily at the General. "That's your riddle? It's easy! The answer's man! Seriously, the most popular riddle from Greek mythology…" Immediately he wished that he had just said the answer.

"Really, if it is so easy, then I guess that you'll just be electrocuted."

Jones was horrorstricken. "You're going to electrocute me? What was the other punishment?"

"Ah, nothing much. Just a water torture trick we learned from the Chinese when we raided their villages. Now that you're going to be electrocuted…" He turned over to one of his men. "Inokuma!" Ronin Inokuma ran over and stood at attention in front of the general. "Go and get the wet sponge. It's time for the punishment."

Within minutes a wet sponge was stuck to the end of a metal pole with jumper cables attached. Indiana yelled violently for them to stop and that he would help them, but it was no use. Inokuma lowered the sponge and a drip of water landed on Dr. Jones's chest, sending a shock through his body. The sponge touched his exposed chest and Jones screamed for mercy. His body tensed and felt like it was burning from the inside. He felt like he was on fire, like he was slowly roasting in a heated blaze.

Inokuma lifted the sponge. Jones's chest was burned. A large welt covered most of his chest and the remaining areas were covered with burned skin and scarred flesh. Jones's vision was fading in and out. He was near losing consciousness.

"So, will you help us now, Dr. Jones?" General Okidonomi laughed evilly as Indiana Jones passed out.

Jones woke up and it was pitch black outside. His chest burned like he was on fire. Even the slightest move made it sting. He lay were he was and called out. "Shaman?" The man must've been asleep. Jones mustered up all of the strength that he could, hoisted himself up, and peered through the eyehole.

Outside, a lantern created a small pine comb of dim white light that lit up a map on a table. General Okidonomi was talking with another man. They were mapping out something. The man took a ruler and measured the distance on the map and recorded his findings on a slip of paper. He handed the slip to Ronin Inokuma, and he ran over to what, in the faint moonlight, appeared to be a large silver cargo plane. He spoke in rapid Japanese, ordering men to put fuel in it.

Jones was tired. His welt seemed to be pulsing with pain. He slumped over against the wall and was about to attempt to sleep but something was happening outside. The padlock to the cage snapped open and someone entered. Jones was scared. He was in no condition to do anything, and the person appeared to have a gun. Then the reassuring voice broke the silence.

"Dr. Jones?" It was Yuki-onna. If someone was going to help him escape, why not a Japanese spirit? "Dr. Jones, are you awake?"

"Yes." Breathing even hurt his chest. "What do you want?"

"For one thing, I want to heal you." She crouched and wobbled over to Dr. Jones. She kissed him on the lips, and as she did, a deep freezing feeling spread throughout his body. His chest glowed an icy-blue and he instantly felt better. She let go and the warmth came back to him. He had just been kissed by a spirit, and not only that, but healed as well. "Now, I would also like to help you escape."

Jones smiled, though unseen in the dark. "That would be great!"

She pushed something into his arms. A machine gun and his pistol. "Take this weapon and use it in the morning. They will come for you at dawn. I will shield the peak in a chilled fog, but it is up to you to run away. I also asked that you take Shaman Shimizu with you."

"I promise."

"I must go now, but heed my words, Indy. I cannot help you in the morning. I will be under General Okidonomi's control. Don't worry about me. Just run!"

General Okidonomi and his comrade finished their discussion and parted ways. Yuki-onna looked right into Jones's eyes. "Good luck, Dr. Jones. You'll need it."

That morning two Japanese soldiers popped open the padlock. Early morning light streamed into the room. Jones and the shaman slept against the back wall. The soldiers rushed over to them and dragged them to their feet. Jones punched one of the soldiers in the gut and elbowed the other in the face. Jones took his machine gun from out of his hiding place—underneath him against the wall—and shot both once in the heart. Looking outside, it was incredibly windy. Snow and slush swirled around in the frigid gusts.

The shaman, with his long black hair and apple green eyes, and Jones ran out into the open. Jones released fire, shooting in every direction. Men cried out, but no fire was returned. The shaman sprinted ahead of Jones running down the slope of the mountain. Indiana followed. He continued to shoot behind him.

Then the fog suddenly disappeared. Dead Japanese soldiers lay on the ground, Ronin Inokuma among them. Several stood with machine guns and rocket launchers. General Okidonomi smiled is wicked smile.

A soldier spoke in Japanese: "_Should we shoot him?_"

"_No. Let him have fun. He won't escape us._"

Jones was running. Shaman Shimizu had jumped off a small ledge and was still running. Jones was about to jump off of that same ledge when the shaman scrambled up it and ran towards him. "Run! Turn back!" Soon Jones saw why. A tank was coming up the mountain. Two soldiers stood on the outside, guns at the ready. Jones turned and ran back at the camp, then turned back at the tank. They were stuck.

"Ah, Dr. Jones," Okidonomi called. "It's a stalemate. You're lucky we don't kill you now. We need you. You can either try to run away and die, try to fight some more and be tortured, or surrender and come back up here and live. It's your call."

Indiana gulped. The choice was obvious. General Okidonomi didn't want to kill him. He was too important. Jones dropped his machine gun and threw his hands up in surrender. Slowly, he walked back up to the camp. Soldiers were dragging away the bodies of their fallen comrades. Yuki-onna sadly stared at the ground.

When he and the shaman returned to the camp, General Okidonomi laughed. "Soldiers can be replaced, Dr. Jones. We have countless to spare. You are endlessly outnumbered."

"I understand…" Jones had a plan. The soldiers had let down their guns and walked away. They were preparing for a departure. The camp was being taken apart and loaded onto the cargo plane. Jones stared at the general. "General, does torture and death amuse you?"

He chuckled. "Yes, it does. I always loved to torture small animals as a kid. Now I torture people for the greater good of Japan."

"What if it is you who is being tortured?" Indiana pulled out his gun and shot General Okidonomi in the lower left gut.

To Jones's surprise, he laughed. "Dr. Jones, you foolish, foolish mortal." Blood started flowing out of his gut, like it was being forced out. The blood continued to flow until the bullet fell out of the wound. Then the wound healed.

"How did you do that?"

"Dr. Jones. If you know your mythology so well, then you know that there is a Japanese god of evil."

"No… It can't be…" There was no way that Okidonomi could be a god.

"Yes, Dr. Jones. I, General Haruko Okidonomi, am Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the Japanese god of evil."


	4. The Valley of the Dead

**Indiana Jones and the Talisman of the Gods**

**Chapter 4**

**The Valley of the Dead**

Indiana Jones dropped his gun and fell to his knees. There was no way that General Okidonomi could be a god. He was too humanlike. Why would the god of evil work in the military? Other than killing people and causing fear, the rest was just work and responsibility.

"Dr. Jones, it is time for our departure. Are you ready?"

Jones feebly nodded his head.

The large cargo plane flew over the country of Japan. They were flying north. Yuki-onna sat next to Indiana, giving him a reassuring look the entire trip. Shaman Shimizu sat shaking in his seat. Indiana wasn't too excited about what lay ahead.

He remembered speaking to Izanagi. He wasn't supposed to give the Japanese the object, or stone tablet, as Shimizu called it. He also remembered a Japanese myth. Izanagi had been in Yomi before. He went there to go bring back his wife, Izanami, when she died after giving birth to Kagu-tsuchi, the Japanese god of fire. He did not succeed though, a fact that made Jones worry. If a god couldn't bring something back from Yomi, then how could a mortal?

Yuki-onna said something. It wasn't out loud, but telekinetically.

__

Why did you come here, Indy?

Jones wasn't sure how to respond. Should he just think what he was saying?

__

I was going to Shanghai when they shot me down.

I'm sorry you could not get away. General Okidonomi has a hold over me. Your father gave him the Talisman of Ice, the object that controls me.

How can a talisman control a spirit?

She had a saddened look. _I'm not sure. But if you give Okidonomi what he wants, he will be able to control a lot more than just me. What ever you do, do not give him what he seeks!_

Jones gulped. Okidonomi walked over to him. "So, Dr. Jones, are you as excited as I am?"

Indiana sneered. "Why can't you do it, O God of Evil?"

"Because if I were to go into Yomi myself, I wouldn't be able to come back out." He smiled. "That's why I need a guinea pig who can navigate himself."

"You still haven't told me what it is I am looking for." How could he find something if he doesn't know what it is?

"Don't worry. You're an archaeologist. You'll be able to sense its great power."

"And another thing…"

"Yes?" Okidonomi wasn't in the mood for questions.

"Why did we go to Mount Fuji? We could have gone straight to wherever it is you're taking me now."

"For two reasons. One, we need to be at the location and night. It was too late for use to get there in time. And two, we needed to pick up General Hoshika."

A skinny Japanese man walked up behind him. "Hello, Dr. Jones."

"And who is this General Hoshika? Is he a god, too?"

"No. I am the general of the air force. I am providing zeros for General Okidonomi. Is that enough information, Dr. Jones?" A6M Zero was a Japanese version of a fighter plane during World War II.

The rest of the plane ride was seemingly uncomfortable. The two generals kept a close watch on Jones and Shimizu. Jones looked back and forth at the two. Hoshika was intimidating, even more so than Okidonomi. Why did they need zeros? Was it a precaution in case something went wrong? This just made Jones all the more worried.

The golden sun was setting in the west. The cargo plane landed on a sand runway made by the stationed soldiers. General Okidonomi and General Hoshika started ordering soldiers to set up camp. Indiana, Yuki-onna, and Ryuji all stepped off of the plane and were taken aback at were they were. It was a graveyard.

Shaman Shimizu looked around at the place and muttered. "Why here?"

"Why not here?" Okidonomi walked up next to him. "It's the Valley of the Dead. There's nothing much. Come nighttime, Mr. Shimizu will open up the door to Yomi and you three will be going in."

"_Three_?" Yuki-onna gasped. "If I go in, I can't come out."

General Okidonomi pulled out a small circular disk from his pocket. It was an icy-blue color with one character on it. The Japanese character for ice.

氷

"Yuki-onna, if you go into Yomi, your talisman will guide you out. If Jones acquires what I ask of him, he, too, will be able to get out. Nobody will be hurt." Okidonomi smiled. "That is, if you mind your manners."

Soon the camp was set up and Okidonomi and Hoshika were still discussing zeros. An entire fleet of sleek black zeros sat just beyond the graveyard. Jones and Shimizu sat on a bench in a tent while they waited nervously. Yuki-onna was doing a series of deep breathing exercises. If Yuki-onna, a spirit, was afraid of Yomi, then Jones would be terrified.

"Yuki-onna," he asked. "What's it like there?"

"It's dark for one thing. It's so dark that it feels like your being smothered. All hope and joy leaves your body and you almost become dead. It's not a good place to stay for long." She continued her deep breathing.

Outside, it was dark. A cool breeze blew through the camp. Jones exited the tent and observed their surroundings. The graveyard was located on a piece of land that seemed to have sunken—two walls of rock stood at its sides, while there was a slope to enter it. Technically, the graveyard was in a valley, a very small valley. As the breeze went over the craters of wet mud in the graveyard, the wind made a deep moaning sound. Indiana shuttered. If the real world was this disturbing, then how would Yomi be?

General Okidonomi walked over to him. "Dr. Jones, it is time. I will go and get Mr. Shimizu and we will begin the ceremony."

Within minutes Ryuji Shimizu was ready to open the portal to Yomi. Yuki-onna and Indiana Jones stood by his side as he began the ritual. He took petrified seashells and scattered them in a straight line at the entrance to the graveyard.

"The teeth of dragons…" he chanted. He continued to do similar things to the entranceway. He then began to chant in Japanese: "_Open the gate!_" He continued to repeat the phrase over and over. The ground where the shells were began to churn and the shells were pushed under the muddy ground. A grinding sound was heard and Shimizu stopped. "It is finished."

General Okidonomi shouted in Japanese and a soldier on the edge of one of the cliffs aimed a mirror at a larger mirror behind Shimizu. The redirected moonlight shone directly above the spot where the seashells had been. Now there was a large granite doorway standing. The moonlight had made it appear.

Shimizu touched the door and it slowly opened, pushing back the wet mud it was standing on. He gulped. A burst of warm mist and fog escaped the doorway. White smoke crawled out across the ground, covering up their feet. Jones looked back at General Okidonomi. He nodded. Without delay, Ryuji Shimizu, Yuki-onna, and Indiana Jones all ventured into Yomi, the shadowy land of the dead.


	5. The Dragon King of the Ocean

**Indiana Jones and the Talisman of the Gods**

**Chapter 5**

**The Dragon King of the Ocean**

Yomi was barren, except for a few petrified trees that speckled the dark surface. Gray clouds swirled above, blocking the light from the opalescent moon. Dry rubble that covered the ground crunched beneath their feet as they ventured deeper into the deathly place.

"Remember," General Okidonomi called out. "You won't come out alive if you do not find what I seek."

Jones nodded and calmly walked. The place seemed empty, like there was nothing there. Yuki-onna looked back and forth hurriedly, checking for unseen threats. Shimizu had a look of disappointment on his face.

"I've opened up the door to Hell," he muttered.

They continued to walk until the doorway was out of sight. Night only lasted a couple of hours, so if they didn't hurry, they would be trapped. They needed more time.

It was nearing ten o'clock, according to Jones's watch. So far they had not seen a sign of life. They had been walking for three hours now. They didn't seem to be going anywhere, like they were walking in an endless circle.

Jones asked Yuki-onna: "Is Yomi supposed to be like this?"

She nodded. "The land of the dead has to be a big place. All of the spirits of those past reside here. They're hiding from us."

"Why are they hiding from—" The ground began to tremble and the rubble on the ground exploded into the air. A large beast was crying out. It was nearly twelve feet tall with monstrous hands and enormous feet. A large spiked club was held tightly in its hand as the being swung it around violently. "What is that?"

Shimizu tried to run away. "It's an oni!"

The being, an oni—the Japanese versions of ogres and trolls—stomped in long strides and picked Shimizu up. Shaman Shimizu's white robes stood out against the oni's red skin. The shaman squirmed in an attempt to escape the monster's clutches.

"Shimizu!" Indiana called out. "Stop moving!" If anything, squirming would make things worse. Hopefully, if he relaxed, the oni would let him go. Unfortunately, movement made no difference to the oni. The beast raised Shimizu up and was about to eat him when something unexplainable happened.

Right as the oni dropped Shimizu into his mouth a large blue claw zoomed past and caught the terrified shaman. In a blur of blue, Shimizu appeared standing in front of Jones and Yuki-onna. The oni tried to swing its giant spiked club, but the blue claw caught it. For that brief moment, the blur stopped and all three of them could see a magnificent and gigantic dragon in front of them.

The dragon opened its mouth and a deep sapphire fire shot out at the oni's face. The ogre stumbled back, grabbing its face, and then ran off. The large winged reptile turned towards the trio.

"Welcome to Yomi, unfortunate ones."

Yuki-onna and Shimizu kneeled. "We thank you, Lord Ryujin."

"Ryujin?" Jones gasped. "Dragon King of the Ocean?"

"Yes, Indiana," the dragon growled. "That's my title."

This was remarkable, Jones thought. He had now met three gods, a spirit, and a Japanese monster. He would never forget this adventure. "Why have you come, Ryujin?"

"Because I would like to assist you on your quest."

Yuki-onna looked up. "You want to help Amatsu-Mikaboshi destroy the entire world?!"

The dragon made a growl that sounded like a laugh. "I am going to make sure that Jones's plan succeeds."

"What is his plan, Great Dragon?"

The dragon tried to smile. "He knows what his plan is. There is no need for you to know now." He looked around and then lay on the ground. "Get on my back. Yomi is a large place. You don't have much time."

The sapphire dragon flapped its incredibly large winds. It soared high above the ground. Indiana was afraid. Not because of the height, but of the form of Ryujin. He looked like a long snake with two arms in the front and two large wings on the sides. Jones grimaced. He hated snakes.

Ryujin made a sharp dive towards the ground and pulled up at the last moment. The ocean god stopped gracefully and lowered his back. "It's time for your departure. I cannot take you any farther, but I will assist you. Good luck, unfortunate ones."

Jones, Shimizu, and Yuki-onna slide off of the dragon's back as it swooped up into the dark clouds and disappeared from sight. "He was a great help," Shimizu sighed. "I hope that he takes us back to the door."

The trio walked forward. Before long they came to a thicket of petrified trees. "It's a petrified forest," Jones said. "Do we just walk through it?"

"Yes, Indy," Yuki-onna was solemn. She now knew exactly what the object was, and feared for her life and for the rest of the world.

They walked through it and came out just as quickly. The forest was only a couple of yards thick and made a circular barrier around a large stone temple. The temple seemed to be about fifteen stories high with a large tower rising three more stories out of the top. It was made of a black rock; obsidian, perhaps. Jones approached with caution, while Shimizu and Yuki-onna stayed back.

"C'mon! The faster we get this thing the faster we get out of this place." He kept walking towards the door, and then Yuki-onna screamed. Jones looked back. She was pointing upwards. From up above, skeletal samurais were jumping out of the temple. Jones moved out of the way as the first to land began to strike.

Jones stepped backwards right as the samurai swung his blade. The sharp tip narrowly missed his chest. Jones pulled out his whip and caught the bony wrist of the warrior, pulling hard and causing it to drop its sword. Jones picked up the sword and swung at the samurai. He hit the skeleton and it burst into a puff of dust. Fairly easy, he thought. However, there were at least ten more standing in front of him.

Jones engaged in a sword battle with two of the warriors while Shimizu and Yuki-onna tried to fight them as best as they could. Shimizu ran away from them in an attempt to distract him while Yuki-onna used her radiant beauty to daze them. Jones destroyed the two samurais and attacked the one chasing Shimizu. He ran over to Yuki-onna and killed the skeletal warriors that were too hypnotized to fight back.

"We need to hurry before more come!" Shimizu ran over to the temple and pushed open a large stone door. Jones and Yuki-onna followed him into the torch lit corridor. The entire temple was like a maze, with its walls adorned with beautiful paintings and its hallways twisting back and forth. They went up three flights of stairs without any obstacles. It seemed easy to Jones, almost too easy. When they reached floor four, the trouble began.

The hallway's direction turned again. The three stopped in their tracks. What seemed to be a large yellow fox with nine tails sat in front of them. Behind it were two different hallways, each leading in different directions. To their surprise, the fox began to speak.

"There are two ways to travel through, but one way shall benefit you."

Jones smiled. "That's what I call a riddle."

Yuki-onna was frightened. "Indy, that's a kitsune. It's trying to trick us. It may even want to kill us."

Shimizu had a solemn look on his face. It was a brave look, one that made Jones worry. "Shaman, what are you going to do."

He gulped. "I am going to chose a hallway. If it isn't the right one, then I will call out. I was trained to protect the world from the tablet and all who seek it. Amatsu-Mikaboshi wants the tablet more than anything." He closed his eyes. "If I die, it will be to rid the world of Amatsu-Mikaboshi and all of his evil."

"Shaman, don't talk like that, we will make it."

He didn't listen. Shimizu took the hall to the left. He walked down the corridor, took a left turn, and continued walking. Jones and Yuki-onna expected to hear a cry, but instead Shimizu came back and beckoned. "This is it! I chose correctly!"

The kitsune walked in front of Jones and morphed into a man. "A man can make his own choices and doesn't listen to other's voices."

Jones pushed him aside. "Shut up, stupid animal."

The kitsune bared its fangs, even as a human. "Bad choices are big mistakes but are sometimes made for other's sakes."

Jones tried to go down the hallway with Shimizu, but the kitsune kept trying to stop him. Indiana pulled out his gun, but before he could shoot he heard a yell. Shimizu was gone and Yuki-onna had her hand over her mouth.

"He was taken away by a jikininki!" Jikininkis were evil Japanese spirits who feed on the corpse's of man, but sometimes have to make the people corpses themselves.

The kitsune smiled. "Follow him, have a slow breath. Take the other path, keep your breath."

Jones put his gun back in his pocket and he and Yuki-onna continued down the corridors going up and up. Along the way there were some obstacles, such as booby traps and a kappa that tried to drag them into a pong in the center of the hall. The continued to climb up and up, and before long were standing in front of a large door big enough for Ryujin the dragon to fit through.

"This is it," Yuki-onna sighed.

"What's inside?" He ran his hand through the deep crevasses on the door's surface, cleaning out the dust that had collected over thousands of years. A large character for power, 力, was etched deeply into the door.

Yuki-onna looked into his eyes. "The Talisman of the Gods."


	6. The Talisman of the Gods

**Indiana Jones and the Talisman of the Gods**

**Chapter 6**

**The Talisman of the Gods**

Together they pushed the stone door open, knocking dust that had collected on the top. The room they were now in was nearly empty. There were four windows in the room, two on each wall, and a painted mural on the back wall. They walked through the room, carefully watching for traps. Small bonsai trees grew in little pots that sat in the window sills. Yuki-onna walked ahead of Jones and observed the mural.

"It's in here…" She muttered.

"What? The Talisman?"

"Yes. It's in the mural."

Jones ran his hand across the painting. It was smooth, almost like it had been painted on a large scroll rather than the wall. He looked around on both sides, looking to see if there was a way to move it. He even crouched down to see if it was one with the wall. It seemed to be. He got up and was face to face with an eyeball.

"Hello!"

Jones stepped backwards. The thing was talking to him.

"What are you looking for?" The eye darted back and forth from Jones and Yuki-onna. "Are you the unfortunate ones?"

"Yes." Jones had been called that a number of times recently. "We're looking for the Talisman."

"Oh!" The eye disappeared and reappeared in another hole next to Yuki-onna. "Why does the unfortunate one need the Talisman?"

"Listen, you little mokumokuren!" Yuki-onna swelled up with rage. One should never anger a spirit. "We need to find that Talisman now and if we don't I will bust through this wall and kill you with my bare hands!"

Jones was taken aback, but the mokumokuren—a spirit that lives in torn shoji, or Japanese sliding walls made out of paper—wasn't. "Try it then, Yuki-onna."

Yuki-onna punched at the eye with lightning speed. The eye moved before she hit, but where she did hit there was a hole. "Indy…" Inside the hole there was a large golden disc about a foot and a half in diameter. In the center the character for power, 力, was etched in. Around the edge of the saucer were smaller discs embedded in the surface. There was an empty slot, most likely where the disc General Okidonomi had went. "This is it. This is the Talisman of the Gods."

"Okay, so let's get it and get out."

"I'm afraid that it won't be that simple." Jones and Yuki-onna turned. They were face to face with a young Japanese woman far more beautiful than Yuki-onna. "I guard that Talisman, and if you take it I will have to kill you."

"Izanami," Yuki-onna cried, "Amatsu-Mikaboshi will destroy the world if we don't do this."

The Japanese goddess of creation and death shook her head. "Amatsu-Mikaboshi isn't even a physical being. He's only a force. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Yes, but he's obtained a physical form!"

With careful thinking, Jones grabbed the Talisman and held it out in front of him. Izanami tried to react, but found that she couldn't move. Indiana was using the Talisman to control her.

"Stop it, foolish mortal!"

"Let us go and I promise to give it back."

"I…" She was unsure. "I hereby let you go."

Jones and Yuki-onna ran out of the doors of the temple. The samurais that had come back to life kneeled in the presence of the Talisman. They walked through the petrified forest to find Ryujin waiting for them.

"Come, unfortunate ones. Time is almost up."

They climbed on Ryujin's back and flew across the shadowy land of the dead. Ryujin flew as fast as he could across the barren landscape, flapping his wings at an incredible rate.

"How much farther until we reach the portal?" Jones asked.

"Only minutes." They continued to fly. Ryujin dove to the ground and pulled up. "The doorway is one minute that way." He pointed towards the north. "I will help you. Call me with the Talisman." Jones and Yuki-onna nodded and ran north. The doorway was in sight. It was time for the plan to begin.

Jones stepped through the doorway and held up the Talisman. Before General Okidonomi could move, his gloved hand stuck straight forward and his fist opened up. The Talisman of Ice flew from his hand and reunited with its spot on the Talisman of the Gods. Okidonomi was outraged.

"Dr. Jones, hand me the Talisman now." He was smiling, but this smile was a nervous one.

"No, God of Evil." Jones aimed the Talisman at Okidonomi. The general's body tensed up and became stiff, almost like he was standing in attention. "I control you know."

With those words the soldiers started firing at Jones. When the bullets came within a yard of Jones they stopped and fell to the ground. Ronin Inokuma shot at Jones with a rocket launcher, only to have the missile stop and fall to the ground as well.

"Dr. Jones, you don't know what you're doing!" Okidonomi was fighting the hold of the Talisman, but it was no use. It had complete control over him.

General Hoshika talked into a walkie-talkie and a fleet of zeros flew overhead. Thinking wisely, Jones used the Talisman to call Ryujin. Within an instant the blue dragon flew through the doorway and up into the sky, beginning to attack the zeros with no problem at all.

General Hoshika, fearing the life of his friend, ran at Jones. Yuki-onna stepped in his path. "Not today, Hoshika." She pulled a dagger out of the sleeve of her _kimono_. Without hesitation she plunged the dagger into Hoshika's gut. He clenched his side as his body became blue. Slowly, a layer of ice covered his body, and then another, and another. Soon Hoshika was inside of a large block of ice, frozen to death.

Ryujin shot a sapphire ball of fire at a zero, causing it to blow up. He grabbed one of the fighter planes and tossed it at another. He even chewed one up and spit it out at a zero. Soon the entire fleet was destroyed. Then he started to burn the camp, destroying all of the equipment and killing soldiers.

Jones held the Talisman up as high as he could. Thunder crackled above and bolts of lightning struck all of those who shot at him, even Ronin Inokuma. Jones used the Talisman to make Okidonomi start walking. The general, as stiff as a board, was walking like a Nazi, keeping his hands flat at his sides, but raising his legs straight and high to walk.

Jones paid careful attention to Okidonomi, making sure that he was walking into the doorway to Yomi. If this worked, he would be able to trap the god in the land of the dead forever. While the general was walking, Jones spoke to the Talisman: "Bring me Izanami."

In a flash of bright light the creation goddess stood in front of Jones. She was out of Yomi. She smiled. "Thank you, Indiana Jones."

As soon as Okidonomi was inside of Yomi, Yuki-onna took her dagger and stabbed at the mirror reflecting the moonlight. The mirror shattered and the doorway disappeared. Okidonomi was gone. They had done it.

Ryujin kept torching the camp until everything was gone. He flew back down to Jones, Izanami, and Yuki-onna. "You had a good plan," he grumbled. "But now we're stuck in the real world."

"Yes, Dr. Jones," Izanami started. "What do we do now? We cannot live with mortals."

Jones smiled. "I have a plan." The three looked at him. "You're going to the Garden of the Gods." They all smiled. Jones raised the Talisman. "I send Izanami and Ryujin to the Garden of the Gods to stay for eternity!" With a flash the dragon and the goddess were gone.

Yuki-onna looked into his eyes. "What about me?"

"I command Yuki-onna to take this Talisman and go to the Garden of the Gods!"

The spirit dropped her dagger and took the Talisman. With a flash she was gone as well. Jones smiled. He had done it. He had stopped Okidonomi from enslaving the world with the power of the Talisman.

He stopped and picked up the dagger. It had a white hilt and a blade made of a never melting ice. _This could go in a museum…_ And with those final words, Indiana Jones walked over to the only zero left. He readjusted his hat, started up the engine, and took off. He needed to get to Shanghai, China, where he had another job waiting for him.


End file.
